Tawa Paneer Sticks

Cooking Time: 20 mins                            Servings: 3
Preparation Time: 10 mins                      Category: Veg

Paneer is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine. It is of Indian origin. In eastern parts of India, it is generally called Chhena. It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese or curd cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice, vinegar, or any other food acids. Unlike most cheeses in the world, the making of paneer does not involve rennet as the coagulation agent, thus making it completely lacto-vegetarian and providing one of the sources of protein for vegetarians in India. It is generally unsalted.

To prepare paneer, food acid (usually lemon juice, vinegar, citric acid or yogurt) is added to hot milk to separate the curds from the whey. The curds are drained in muslin or cheesecloth and the excess water is pressed out. The resulting paneer is dipped in chilled water for 2–3 hours to give it a good texture and appearance.

Now lets see how Paneer can be used in preparing a starter called Tawa Paneer Sticks.

Tawa Paneer sticks

Ingredients:
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Paneer - 250 gms
Onions - 2 (cut in cubes)
Green Chillies - 5
Garlic cloves - 4
Ginger - cut into small pieces not more than a tea spoon
Turmeric - 1/2 tea spoon
Salt - to taste.
Coriander/Cilentro - 1
Pudina/Mint leaves - 8 to 10
Olive oil/Refined oil - 1 table spoon

Preparation:

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• Cut paneer into small rectangular pieces.
• Char onions, green chillies, garlic and ginger separately on a pan for 5 mins on low flame.
• Take all these into the blender and add turmeric, salt, coriander and mint leaves and blend them to a fine paste.
• Marinate paneer pieces with this paste for about 15 mins.
• Heat a pan/tawa and 1 tea spn of olive oil. Once it is heated, add 4 to 5 paneer sticks and roast them until they are cooked.
• Repeat the process for remaining paneer pieces.
• Serve it hot with chopped onions, lime and curd chutney.

PS:- Paneer can be replaced with potatoes or soft chicken breast or fish. The prepartion time may vary when they are used.

Shrimp(Prawn) Biriyani - Hyderabadi Style

Cooking Time:        1 Hrs                             Servings:  6
Preparation Time:  2-3 Hrs                          Category: Non-Veg

Biryani, biriani, or beriani is a set of rice-based foods made with spices, rice (usually basmati) and meat, fish, eggs or vegetables. The name is derived from the Persian word berya which means "fried" or "roasted". For a non-vegetarian biryani, the main ingredient that accompanies the spices is the meat—beef, chicken, goat, lamb, fish or shrimp. The dish may be served with dahi chutney or Raita, korma, curry, or boiled egg and salad.

One of the most famous varieties of Biryani in India is Hyderabadi biryani. It is savored in all parts of India and forms an integral part of Indian cuisine.The Nizam's kitchen boasted of 49 kinds, which included biryani made from fish, quail, shrimp, deer and hare. The most famous of all, Hyderabadi Biryani is called the "Kacchi Yeqni" Biryani as both the marinated meat and the rice are cooked together. Biryani had not been a widespread dish in the North India until recently. North India has been making variants of Pullao as traditional main course dish. I have been to many restaurants in Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kerala and other parts of Tamil Nadu. People often mistake pullao as biryani in these places and I feel they are being cheated by some restaurants as they serve pullao instead of original biryani.
The difference between biryani and pullao is that while pullao may be made by cooking the items together, biryani is used to denote a dish where the rice (plain or fried) is cooked separately from the thick sauce (curry of meat or vegetables). The curry and the rice are then brought together and layered, resulting in a dish of the contrasting flavors of flavored rice (which is cooked separate with spices) and intensely flavored sauce and meat or vegetables.

Btw, during Ramzan season in 2006, Green Park hotel (at Begumpet, Hyderabad) served 92 kinds of biryani over a 30 day biryani festival. 

Now lets see the ingredients and method of preparation for Shrimp Biryani - Hyderabadi style.

Ingredients
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Shrimps - 750 gms medium sized

Prawn Biriyani

Basmati Rice - 750 gms (wash & soak it for 1 hr)
Cloves, dalchini, elalchi, shahi jeera, biryani flower, biryani pattha
Yogurt - 150 gms
Turmeric - 1 tea spoon
Ginger garlic paste - 1-2 table spoons
Red Chilly powder - 2 tea spoons
Salt to taste
Fried Onions Big - 2 (chop onions vertically and fry thems in ghee it they turn golden brown)
Green Chillies
Coriander (cilentro)
Mint leaves (Pudina)
Ghee - 2 table spoons
Lime juice - 2 tea spoons
Garam masala powder 

Marination
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Wash shrimps in salt water and keep them aside in a vessel. Add 1 table spoon ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, lime juice, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt (only for the marination). Mix it well and keep it in refrigirator for 3-4 hours so that shrimps will absorb all the spices very well.

Preparation
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1) Take out the marination. Add 2-3 tea spoon besan, beat 2 eggs and mix it well.Adding these are optional.
2) Now fry these marinated shrimps in oil till they are properly cooked.
3) Take a vessel and add 1 ltr of water. To it add biryani flower, 3-4 cloves, 3-4 small dalchini sticks, biryani pattha and salt (this time for the rice). Add the soaked rice to this when the water starts to boil. Don't cook the rice completly. It should be 80% cooked. This is because we cook it again later with shrimp (DUM/steam). Filter out the rice and keep it aside.
4) Take a big vessel and add the oil in which shrimps were fried earlier. 1 table spoon of this oil is sufficient. Add few cloves, dalchini, elaichi (cardamom) and fry this masala. Now add the fried shrimps to it and cook it for 5 mins. Now add fried onions, 3-4 chopped green chillies, chopped coriander & mint leaves and 100 grms yogurt(dilute is with some water) and cook the shrimps for 5 more mins. Turn off the stove.
5) Now add the rice to it. Remember we need to make layers of rice, onions, mint & coriander leaves. So dont add all the rice at a time. We shall make a min of 3 layers. So one portion of rice at a time.
6) Add garam masala powder. This depends on taste. If you want the biryani to be spicy then add according to your taste. Ideally 1/2 tea spoon of the powder per layer is sufficient. Then add the chopped chilles (2-3), few fried onions, little chopped mint & coriander leaves. Similarly make another 2 layers with the remaining rices.
7) Once all the layers are done pour the remaining ghee over the top and sides.
8) Mix some saffron in 1/2cup milk and pour it over the top of the biryani mixture. This will give nice & rich color. This step is again optional.
9) Close the vessel and cook it for 10 mins on high flame and for another 15 mins on low flame and turn off the stove.
10) Make sure the steam doesnt come out from the vessel. Once the stove it turned off, do not open the vessel for another 30 mins. The entire biryani will be properly cooked in the steam within and the spices will be absorbed thoroughly.
11) Serve the biryani with curd raitha, chopped onions and lime :)

Biryani is not complete unless you have a dessert at the end of the meal. My personal favourite is Gulab Jamun. You can have any other also but I feel no other sweet will satisfy your taste buds as Gulab Jamun does with Biryani. Try it yourself :)

Desi Anda Curry

Cooking Time: 20 mins                                       Servings: 3-6

Preparation Time: 10 mins                 Category: Veg (I consider Egg as veg :) )

There are several methods to prepare egg curry. The one am sharing is one of the simplest and easy methods to cook. This dish is found mainly on Highway Dhabas and not in major city restaurants. Egg is a very  popular and versatile cooking ingredient and is supposed to be bachelor's best friend in kitchen :-) 

Ingredients:

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Desi Anda Curry

Eggs - 6 to 8

Onions - 250 gms

Tomatoes - 150 gms

Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon

Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 tea spoon

Refined oil - 2 Table spoons

Salt  - 2-3 tea spoons

Turmeric - 1/2 tea spoon

Ginger & garlic paste - 2 tea spoons

Chilly powder - 1 table spoon

Coriander - 1 finely chopped

Finely chopped green chillies - 5

Garam Masala - 1 tea spoon.

Preparation:
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• Boil eggs and once they are done, remove their shell and keep them aside.
• Finely chop onions and tomatoes.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard & jeera. After a minute add finely chopped onions & cook them untill they turn golden brown.
• Now add tomotoes and cook them for 10 mins.
• Add turmeric, chilly powder, ginger garlic paste & salt to taste and cook for another 2 mins
• Add 3 small cups of some water, mix and close the kadai and cook for another 10 mins.
• Now add the boiled eggs to this gravy and cook for 10 mins
• Add garam masala, mix it well and turn off the stove.
• Garnish with coriander and serve hot with chapati, plain or ghee rice. 

Instead of adding boiled eggs, you can beat them and add directly to the gravy. Wait for couple of minutes and then mix it well. Cook for about 5-10 mins on low flame before adding garam masala.

VANGI BATH

Cooking Time: 30 mins                  Servings: 5
Preparation Time: 20 mins            Category: Veg

Vangi Bath is a famous South Indian dish. It is usually famous among the Brahmin community. Literal translation could be thought of as Fried Brinjal(egg plant) rice. This dish is mostly homemade and is hard to find in restaurants. Typically found in Karnataka, spicier variety is often found in neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Now let me tell you how this dish can be prepared at home.

Ingredients:
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Vangi Bath

Rice - 1 KG (Basmati)

Mustard seeds - 1 table spoon

Ghee - 150 gms
Red Chillies - 10
Green Chillies - 4 (vertically chopped)

Curry leaves

Kaju - 100 gms

Salt to taste

Brinjal - 250 gms (vertically chopped medium pieces)

Alu - Optional

Tamarind paste - 4 table spoons (Sour butter milk or lemon juice can be added as an alternative)

Vangi bath powder - 7-8 tsp

Preparation:

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• Cook basmati rice separately and keep it aside.
• Heat ghee in a pan... add mustard, red chillies, curry leaves, green chillies and fry them for 5 mins.
• Add cashewnut and fry them for couple of minutes.
• Now add the brinjal/eggplant (then alu)..and fry it.
• When they are half cooked...add the tamarind paste.
• Cook that for another 10 mins and add the vangi bath powder.
• Add some salt to taste..and mix it well.. 
• Once it is cooked..mix this paste with the rice and serve hot with curd raitha or coconut chutney

Everest or MTR readymade Vangi bath powder can be used or if you want to prepare it at home, here is the procedure.

Ingredients for Vangi bath powder. Makes 250 gms (approx)

Urad dal (split black lentils) - 1/2 cup/50 gms

Chana dal - 1/2 cup/50 gms
Grated dry coconut - 100 gms

Red chillies - 5

Turmeric powder (haldi) - 1/2 tsp

Coriander (dhania) seeds - 1 Table sp

Fenugreek (methi) seeds - 1 tsp

Cinnamon (dalchini) - 10 sticks

Cloves (laung) - 5

Preparation

• Dry roast all the ingredients separately. Then combine all and add turmeric.
• Now blend these to a smooth powder.
• Store in an airtight container. If stored in freezr, it can stay for an year.

Kerala Chicken Curry

Cooking Time:       20-30 mins         Servings: 3
Preparation Time: 10 mins               Category: Non-Veg

Ingredients:

Kerala Chicken Curry

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Chicken - 1/2 KG

Coconut milk -150gms (3 table spoons appox)

Onions - 2 medium size

Chilly powder - 3 tea spoons

Salt to taste

Lime juice - 4 to 5 tea spoons

Cooking/Refined Oil - 2 table spoons

Turmeric - 1 tea spoon

Cumin Seeds - 1 tea spoon

Fenugreek seeds - 10

Garam Masala powder - 1 tea spoon

Preparation:
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Cut onions into fine pieces and char it on a pan until it turns golden brown.  Add cumin and fenugreek seeds and roast them for 2 mins and turn off the stove. Once this gets cool down, grind them and make it into a paste

1. Wash chicken properly. Then add turmeric, lime juice and salt to the chicken and  mix well. Keep it aisde for about 15 mins.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, add the marinated chicken and cook for 20 mins on medium flame. Add the onions paste and cook for another 5 mins
3. Add chilly powder, salt and add some water and simmer it for couple of mins.
4. Mix it well and add coconut milk and cook for another 10 mins with a lid closed on the kadai on medium flame. 
5. Add garam masala and turn off the stove. Server hot with appam, dosa or boiled rice.

Dal Palak

Cooking Time:      20-30 mins                      Servings: 5
Preparation Time: 10 mins                           Category: Veg

Ingredients:
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Toor dal - 1/2 kg

Salt - to taste

Chilli powder - 2 tea spoons

Freshly chopped palak - 100-150 gms

Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tea spoon

Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon

Turmeric- 1/2 tea spoon

Tamarind concentrate - 50gms

Red chilles - 5 to 6

Curry leaves - 8 to 10

Preparation:
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1. Wash toor dal and soak it in water for 1/2 hr and then remove the water

2. In a pressure cooker, add the dal and some water (Dal:Water ratio is 1:1 1/2). Then cook it for 3 whistles on medium to high flame.

3. Take a pan and heat oil. Add jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies curry leaves and cook for 2 mins.

4. Now add palak and cook it for 5-10 mins on medium flame.

5. Add turmeric, salt and chilli powder and cook for another 5 mins.

6. Now add the taramind essence and water (1 full glass) and cook till it boils

7. Now add this mix to the cooked dal, mix well and cook for another 5 mins on low flame.

8. Serve hot with plain/jeera rice with ghee and papads.

Royyala Vepudu (Shrimp/Prawn Fry)

Cooking Time:       30-40 mins             Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 20 mins                  Category: Non-Veg

Prawn Fry

Ingredients:

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Shrimps - 1 Kg

Ginger garlic paste - 100 gms

Onions 1 Big - finely chopped

Red Chilly flakes - 1 tea spoon or full red chilles

Turmeric - 1 tea spoon

Lemon juice - 2 table spoons

Green Chilles - 3-4 vertically chopped

Coriander - finely chopped 

Marination:

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1. Wash the shrimp in warm salt water 2-3 times to get rid off the smell and keep it aside

2. Now add turmeric, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste and mix it with shrimp and let is marinate for 1 hr.

Procedure:

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1. Heat 3 table spoons of oil in a pan and add some finely chopped onions. Fry them till they turn golden brown

2. Now add the marinated shrimps and fry it for 15 mins on medium flame.

3. Add red chilly flakes, green chilles to it and continue cooking on a medium flame for another 10 mins.

4. Now, add salt to taste and a tea spoon of chilli powder. Mix it and continue frying.

5. Add 2 small cups of water and close the pan with a lid and let is cook for 15-20 mins on low flame.

6. Once it is cooked, garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves and server hot with pudina chutney (desi style) or tomato sauce.

If you wanna give it a chinese touch, follow below steps to prepare what I call 'KUNG-PAO SHRIMP'

Ingredients
Shrimps - 1/2 Kg

Ginger minced - 1/2 cup
Garlic  cloves pressed - 10

Onions 1 Big - finely chopped

Red Chilly flakes - 1 tea spoon or full red chilles

Lemon juice - 2 table spoons

Green Chilles - 3-4 vertically chopped

Cornstarch - 2 table spoons
Vinegar (1 table spoon)
Peanuts - 1 small cup

Procedure

• Rub the cornstarch on to shrimps and keep them aside.
• Roast the peanuts and keep them aside. The skin of these ground nuts should be removed.

• Heat oil in a pan and add some finely chopped onions. Fry them till they turn golden brown.
• Add the shrimps and cook for 20 mins. Now add peanuts and fry it for some time.
• Add red chilly flakes, green chilles to it and continue cooking on a medium flame.
• Now add salt to taste and a tea spoon of chilli powder/flakes. Mix it and continue cooking.
• Add a small cup of water and close the pan with a lid and let is cook for 15-20 mins on low flame.
• Add  soya sauce and vinegar. Mix it well.
• Then add finely chopped garlic to the mix and cook it for 3-4 minutes on medium flame. You should keep mixing so that soya sauce wont stick to the bottom.
• Once it is cooked, garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves and server hot with tomato & chillysauce.